Posted on 05/08/2006 7:17:49 AM PDT by CedarDave
GALLUP — A Gallup Junior High School teacher is having personnel action taken against it for making a racially derogatory comment against a Hispanic student.
On Tuesday afternoon, the teacher, whose name school officials refused to release, allegedly made a comment to an eighth-grade student asking if he was "legal" and whether or not he had papers.
The student had missed school on Monday, and was asked if he was absent because he participated in the march against Proposition 4437. The student said he had stayed at home. Following the student's answer the teacher then allegedly began asking questions about whether he was a legal citizen.
Principal Frank Chiapetti could not confirm the details of the incident, but did confirm that the incident was regarding a comment about a Hispanic child. He said an investigation was completed Earlier this week.
"Action will be taken," said Chiapetti. Statements from the student and teacher, as well as other students...
The aunt of the student, who did not want to release her name or the name of her nephew, said that he came home from school that day and told his parents what had happened.
Because the student's parents speak only Spanish, the aunt spoke on behalf of her sister's son.
<< snip >>
Because it is against personnel policies, Chiapetti could not disclose what specific actions will be taken against the teacher, but that school board policy was followed.
The student's family did participate in the marches against Proposition 4437, which started on Monday and ended on Thursday evening.
<< snip >>
"We promote an environment of tolerance of belonging in the schools," said John Overheim, assistant principal.
The school may have a special meeting to remind teachers and staff of the sensitivity of the current issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at gallupindependent.com ...
It probably comes down to tact.
I think it would have been better for the teacher to take his or her concerns to the administration for proper action rather than accost the 8th grader while at school. The teacher should have expected this type of reaction. What did they expect? The student to just bust out with the papers on the spot? It's the administration's responsibility to contact the parents/English speaking relatives to shore this information.
Of course, if they'd done so from the get go, none of this would have happened.
Never got an answer.
Is he an illegal or not?
I suspect there would be no such action taken if the kid were white/European and the teacher asked him/her the same question (about legal status).
"We promote an environment of tolerance of belonging in the schools," said John Overheim, assistant principal."
TRANSLATION:
We instruct our pupils in the fine art of social political correctness and appropriate obsequiesness to all obnoxious minorities ( not meant in the racial sense here), such as activist homosexuals, Islamofascists, foreign invaders, one-worlders, pacifists, etc. We expect our teachers to set an appropriate example.
The answer is you can't ask that question.
I'd clock someone if they asked me.
If he was a white European kid, he likely would NOT have been asked this question by his teacher in front of the class. It is up to the administrators to know if their students are legal US residents and deal with them accordingly. If a teacher has confirmed knowledge that a student is an illegal, he/she/it should report the student. A teacher's job is to educate students if they are present in class and mark them absent when they fail to attend.
No, this wasn't a racist question, per se. But it was not tactful, a quality that a public educator should have.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the children of illegals must be educated the same as citizens. For that reason it is wrong for a teacher to be asking about green cards.
Maybe the teacher can't, but I can.
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